Editorial Feedback

June 26, 2008

DEATH PENALTY

The logic behind your ridiculous death penalty position ("Gov. Kaine made the right call in an ambiguous case," June 12) is absurd and amounts to simple pandering to a shallow pol. We all know Gov. Tim Kaine loathes the death penalty and will do anything to prevent the lawful execution of convicted killers any way he can.

Percy Walton cold-bloodedly slaughtered three people 11 years ago in Danville. Prior to this commutation, Kaine delayed Walton's execution three times in defiance of numerous court decisions. Now, only one grieving relative, 87 years old, remains to fight for justice. Smart politics - what can she do?

High-profile murderer Daryl Atkins' commutation will undoubtedly be easy since the family of his victim, Airman First Class Eric Nesbitt, lives out of state in New York.

Allen Ayers

Editor's response: On your general observation, we thought Kaine made a convincing case, acknowledging and respecting the victims and their famlies, that Walton's mental condition had deteriorated to the point that he would not understand that he was about to be executed, or why. Those being the standards set by the U.S. Supreme Court, it still seems like a moderate and reasonable decision by a governor who has allowed other executions to proceed.

As for your analysis, it's undermined by a couple of simple factual errors. First (and without any intention to minimize the grief, loss or anger of the 87-year-old you mention, who is one victim's sister), at last report the daughter of two of the victims still lives in Mississippi and said several years ago that commutation was due. Second, Atkins' death sentence was commuted in January by the judge who first imposed it, on the grounds that the prosecutor withheld evidence that could have changed the original outcome in 1998. Kaine was not involved.